The SunBreak » Japan

Japanese Tsunami Yields Up a Real-Life “Life of Pi” Scene

Michael van Baker — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:01:48 +0000

Two years and 11 days after the 2011 tsunami ravaged Japan's coast, a 20-foot boat called the Sai-shou-maru washed up on the Washington coast near Long Beach. Empty of human life, it carried an unusual live cargo: five striped beakfish, with some "30 to 50 species of plants and animals" total, said staff at Washington State's Department of Ecology.

Tons of Japan’s Tsunami Debris Due on West Coast

Michael van Baker — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 23:50:45 +0000

The best analogy for the impacts of tsunami debris, explains Ebbesmeyer, is the 150-ton concrete-and-metal dock that washed up on the Oregon coast. More than 50 feet in length and about ten feet "tall," less than a foot of it was visible in the water. Like the debris field, it was almost impossible to spot in open water, a hazard to marine navigation, and a Trojan horse of sorts: the dock was carrying more than 90 different, potentially invasive, species that were destroyed.

Sojuan Serves a Classy Kaiseki Meal in Tokyo

Jay Friedman — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:30:12 +0000

Kaiseki is a traditional Japanese meal stunning in presentation and carefully composed in flavors, colors, textures, and seasonality. Serving vessels are beautiful and purposeful, with leaves and flowers connecting food to nature, and edible garnishes typically depicting fauna and flora.

Postcard from Tokyo: Signs and Other Sights, Some Sexy

Jay Friedman — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 14:20:42 +0000

My tenth trip to Tokyo came a year later than expected, as last year's March 11 earthquake and tsunami made me postpone plans. Nerves are shaky as there continue to be small earthquakes, but the Japanese are a resilient bunch, and the country remains as beautiful, delicious, and quirky as ever.